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Jun 7, 2013

Everyone, this is going to be the last post on this blog, so please read it, so there is as little confusion with the transition as possible.

First, a little explanation (if TLDR, you can skip), why this is happening. Those of you, who read this blog regularily have noticed that in last weeks and months I have considered various options what to do with this blog, including quitting altogether. The reasons were simply the fact I had less time in general, FTR took more and more time and quite simply, I am just a human being: when I do something as time-consuming, I'd like to have something out of it, preferably while not burdening my readers with any donation stuff or whatever. At one point, I tried to set up an adsense account, but - as some of you know - that doesn't work when you have a blog like this, you have to have your own domain or something. Thus, the application was denied.

At that point Edrard showed up. We've been mailing to each other over some other matters even before, but even so I was surprised when he made me an "offer I can't refuse". Edrard is the administrator and owner of probably the biggest World of Tanks unofficial webpage in the world, wot-news.com. He basically offered me to move the FTR blog over to his website and I accepted. Took kinda long time to tweak, but thanks to his technical skill and awesome attitude (he was and continues being extremely helpful in all the matters), we (well, mostly he) managed to setup a Wordpress-based copy of For The Record. Wordpress interface gets a little time to use to, but we managed, I think. So, I am proud to announce the wot-news/FTR cooperation:

- Interface remains the same as you can see. Even the functionality stayed. It basically works just like the "old" FTR, so you should have no trouble orienting. The only significant change I made is that from now on, the main page will display only first few lines of the article, not the article whole - for the whole article you'll have to click on the article itself.

- Comments - this is one of the (very few) bad sides of this system. I will have to make the comments allowable only for registered users, not anonymous as before. This is not to limit you in commenting, this is to fight spam, a level of which, as I was told by Edrard who has a lot of experience in this, will be considerably higher. Since I don't want to spend half of the day removing spam comments with cheap viagra ads and offers from Nigerian princes to transfer their money, I think this is the best solution for everyone.

- Adsense - as you can probably see, there are two empty adsense banners, one of the top of the article, one at the bottom. They will become active in 1-2 weeks after the website has enough new and original content (this is the reason why I can't simply copy the old FTR content to the new website, Adsense requires original content). What little profit the banners make will be split between me and Edrard (and of course to cover the hosting costs). I am not sure myself how this will go, but I will ask you one thing: please leave the Adblock and other filters off for FTR - it doesn't cost you guys anything and it would help me a lot.

- Content will also remain the same, the authors who write for current FTR will (if they are still interested of course) recieve editor's access, like they had in here.

- Linking to FTR - since wot-news.com are a very clean site, now you'll be able to link to FTR on all the forums, how cool is that? However there is a price...

- Leaks - no original leaks are allowed on wot-news. The biggest reason is that wot-news.com has very friendly relationship to WG RU and Edrard doesn't want it fucked up by massive leaks. Therefore, there is a rule that no original leaks are allowed, only reposts from other sites. However: obviously, you want your info fresh and I can promise you that you will get it. There is always a solution, don't worry about it.

Well, that's it for now. I do know that some changes are not exactly desirable, but FTR had to move somewhere, because stagnation equals death by decay. There will be a bug here and there and it will take a while before we polish the new FTR, so it works perfectly, but I hope you can forgive us that - in exchange, you will get more content, more articles and more info.

The issue of gun accuracy (let's forget for a moment that when most people say accuracy, they mean precision) comes up a lot when discussing the game. Obviously, since engagement distances are very short, accuracy is reduced compared to real life, or no one would ever miss. In a previous article, I pointed out how the M-30 gets shafted about half as much as the D-25. Let's use some extremely scientific methods to determine the shaftedness ratio (SR) for some guns in the game: the ratio of in-game dispersion to real life dispersion. A high SR corresponds to a gun that is highly nerfed compared to real life.

The Soviets used a metric called average deviation to determine how precise a gun is. Average deviation is given for three axes. Since the game doesn't tell you the length-wise dispersion, let's focus on the horizontal and vertical deviations. A bunch of them are given here.

Comparing average deviation to maximum deviation is a bit hard, but not impossible. Due to the magic of a normal distribution, you can convert between the two. The current system is allegedly off at 3 sigmas (it will be 2.5 in 0.8.6). In a standard normal distribution, the 50% boundary lies at about 0.67 sigmas. Half of your shots should land within the closest 22% of the circle. This may not be true if the distribution isn't standard (we know it's normal, so please no whining about impulse in the comments), but for the purpose of comparing ratios, it doesn't matter that much.

Now, let's take the figures for the guns in the linked article, and figure out how badly they got shafted! I will use the 1000 meter figure to calculate precision, since they are all 0.1 meters at 100 meters, and that's boring. Since real life deviations aren't circular, but in-game ones are, let's use the larger of the values.

NOTE: the values, in most cases, are given to the nearest decimeter. This means that a small change that puts a gun from, say, 0.5 meters to 0.6 meters, has a sizeable effect on the SR.

Starting at the lowest caliber, we have the DShK 12.7 mm machinegun. Just like in the game, the dispersion isn't that stellar, 76 cm. At 100 meters, that's 7.6 cm. The 100% dispersion is 57 cm, and the 50% dispersion, using the 22% rule above, is 12.54 cm. That's a shaftedness ratio of 1.65.

Cranking up the caliber to 20 mm on the TNSh autocannon, we get 7 cm of dispersion at 100 meters, 100% dispersion in-game of 53 cm, 50% dispersion at 11.66 cm, and a shaftedness ratio of 1.66. Pretty consistent so far.

Getting out of the autocannon region, we advance to the American 37 mm M5 gun. Compared to the TNSh, it's a sniper, at 4 cm at 100 meters. In game, the 100% dispersion at 100 meters is 46 cm, 50% dispersion is 10.12 cm, and SR is 2.5. That's pretty nerfed!

Let's see how the German 3.7 cm gun does. 5 cm at 100 meters, with the same 46 cm of 100% dispersion as the American gun. That's the same 10.12 cm of 50% dispersion, and a SR of just over 2.

Moving up in caliber, the British 2-pounder gun (40 mm). The maximum deviation is 4 cm (although the horizontal deviation is an impressive 2 cm) at 100 meters. In game, it's 36 cm for a 100% radius, or 7.92 cm for a 50% radius, for a SR of 1.98.

Next up is the Soviet 45 mm model 1937 gun. Artillery tables give us a radius of 6 cm, either 46 cm in game, which converts to 50% radius of 10.12, and gives an SR of 1.68. Interestingly enough, this is the only gun where APCR scatters less than AP. Firing only gold, the SR goes up to 2.

Sadly, I have no data on 50 mm guns, so let's skip all the way up to the M2 75 mm American gun. The impressive deviation of 3 cm at 100 meters is increased to a not so impressive value of 47 cm at 100 meters, or 10.34 cm for a 50% dispersion, matching other similar tier guns. Since the real life precision was much higher, the M3 Lee scores an SR of 3.44. Yikes.

The T-34's 76 mm F-34 gun doesn't do much better. At the same 3 cm, both the Soviet and Chinese versions carry a 46 cm dispersion. At 10.12 cm for 50%, that's a SR of 3.37. Not as bad as the Lee, I guess, but just barely.

Skipping up to 88 mm, the Tiger II's gun gets some impressive results: 2.6 cm at 100 meters. The in-game stat is also impressive, 34 cm. The 50% dispersion is 7.48 cm, for an SR of 2.87.

Moving up a caliber, we get into artillery territory. The 105 mm German 1918 howitzer gets a dispersion of 4 cm (same as the 2-pounder, with an impressive 2 cm on the smaller axis), or 49 cm in game. That's a 10.78 cm 50% dispersion, and an SR of 2.7.

The 122 mm M-30 howitzer has a dispersion of 6 cm, and 55 cm on its TD version in-game. The 50% radius is 12.1 cm, giving an SR of 2.

The 122 mm D-25 has long been the subject of debate among those who care about truth and justice historical accuracy. The dispersion is approximately 2.4 cm, and 46 cm on both the Soviet and Chinese brothers. That makes for a 10.12 cm 50% radius and a whopping 4.2 SR.

The biggest gun I have data on is the 152 mm ML-20S. Its real life deviation is an impressive 3.2 cm, but in-game, SerB's cruel nerf bat reduced it to 50 cm, or 11 cm for a 50% radius. The SR is 3.43. Hey, not as bad as the IS!

So, what do we see here? The low tier, low accuracy guns aren't penalized that much, or else you wouldn't be able to hit anything. The penalty at tier 1-4 is about 2. Tier 5s have a harsher fate, with the SRs going over 3.

Yes, the bottom 3 guns are Soviet, but so is the top one. That's explained by most of my data being Soviet. If anyone has tables for Western WWII guns, I'd be grateful. Despite the cries of anti-German bias, Germans are clustered solidly in the middle.

Jun 6, 2013

Since there is a lot to translate and tomorrow I will most likely be busy, here's another batch for today:

- SerB considers the Superpershing case thus: "We decided not to fix this issue 2-3 patches back due to mass whine. That was a mistake." (SS: I heard an interesting theory on Russian forums - that the reason for this whole charade was to remove SP from the shop in the first place for some (unimportant and made up) reason. This will increase its sales ("it's going away, let's get it") and at the same time, paves the way for the introduction of the T23 premium medium tank... which was heavily hinted at by some people around RU and US forums...)
- Storm checked the AMX-13 and ELC models and has not found any bugs regarding the collision and visual models relation.
- AFK tank can still light up enemies, if they get close to it
- SerB doesn't worry about trolling too much, he states that when he was making the Reddit Q&A session, he was trolling too and nothing happened
- currently the ROF displayed in the hangar takes into account only the 100 percent loader, not commander's bonus
- SerB doesn't want to implement 4th consumable slot, because it would support pay to win and it would also bring disbalance to the game
- the developers did consider the idea to allow (in company mode) the team commander to take part in "observer" tank (invisible, indestructable), so he can focus on team command while not being distracted by his own tank gameplay. This was apparently scrapped.
- it is possible for both teams in random battle to have different number of platoons, if the MM mechanism considers the MM weight difference between those too small (for example 2x2 man platoons vs 1x3 man platoon)
- Storm states that there is nothing wrong with T57 armor model, just that it's very uneven, which is historical
- SerB states that various organized forum actions of players not buying gold have no effect and that the developers ignore them, this also concerns the forum players, because the devs won't listen to those who simply yell the loudest.
- Tiger, Jagdtiger and Tiger II will have their maximum speed increased at some point (without horsepower buff)

Also, there is an interesting thread about the Type 62/WZ-132 model being wrong. The_Chieftain was on it, we might even eventually get a fix.

Also, in this post, Storm jokingly admitted Superpershing might return to the shop... for a higher price.

SS: Today, we start new series of articles. Our guest reporter will be Jdtherocker. He's an American player, very well known on US forums for his series of interviews, some of which he will be making and posting on FTR. Welcome, Jd :)

First person Jd interviewed is 1stTanks, US customer support representative. The point of these interviews is to bring some of the known WG representatives, employees and players to the community's attention. So, without further ado, here's Jd:

Today I sat down with 1stTanks for a great interview that is worth its length and more!

1. What is the meaning behind your name?I've heard a lot of jokes about my name. This is especially true when I die first in a match (which is very rare but occasionally does happen). It's always "Well now I see why you are called 1stTanks.... first tank to die noob!"

My game name is actually short for the unit I used to be stationed with. Any Marine that see's my tags instantly knows what it means. 1stTanks = 1st Tank Battalion out of 29 Palms, CA. I was a M1A1 Abrams Tank Commander in the United States Marine Corps. I recently separated back in February after 12 years of service and came to Wargaming America around May of this year.2. How did you start playing World of Tanks?

I actually heard about World of Tanks in February 2011 from a couple of my friends who are also Marine Tankers. I was at Fort Knox as a tank instructor, teaching brand new Marines how to become tankers. They informed me that there was an epic internet tank game that was better than anything released thus far. Naturally this piqued my interest. It was still in Beta and both of them (Riidean37 and Black_8) were playing it. They both had up to about tier 6 or 7 tanks when I began. I played it for a couple weeks while in Beta and immediately rage quit the game. Instead of taking the time to learn the in depth mechanics, I blamed Wargaming for developing such a bad product. Obviously it couldn't have been my fault right?

When the official announcement of the April 12 release day was known, I told them I was not going to begin playing such a bad game. They bugged, insisted, and called me every name in the book until I finally caved and agreed to sign up on the release day.

Well, from that point on World of Tanks has been a passion for me. I cannot thank them enough for introducing me to something that would change my life. To some people it is just a game. For me, it expanded on a deep infatuation for tanks that I already had while substantially reducing risk factors, allowing me to make decisions that I would never dream of doing on a real M1A1 Abrams!

It's funny because even when I was tanking, I was thinking about World of Tanks! I can recall times where I was on the Abrams (in training) and talking on the radio to other Tank Commanders about how much grinding we had left until we reached tier 4! LOL. Truly great memories to reflect on. These two guys are epic Marines and phenomenal tankers in real life. Give them a shout if you see them in game.3. What is your favorite tank?

I have a few tanks that I would consider my favorite but I will narrow it down to two. My first would have to be the T29. This kept me playing as I almost completely rage quit the game a second time during the T1/M6 grind. I was really bad@tanks and couldn't understand why my M6 heavy tank performed so poorly. Again my two buddies kept me in and once I got the T29, I fell in love. I was running around with the 76MM broomstick sticking out of it in tier 10 battles but didn't care because I finally had armor! A true game changer for me. I was still grotesquely terribad at internet tanks but at least I was a heavy!

My next favorite tank is the T110E5. It is versatile and can be used in many situations. It has decent armor, a fantastic gun, good speed, and maneuverability. This is the perfect tank in my opinion.4. What play style do you utilize?

I'm not really sure how to describe my play style. When I first began I was strictly a lead from the front type of guy. If I wasn't brawling, then something was wrong. I was taught in the very beginning of the game (by my good buddy Riidean37) that the goal was to get to the other side and cap fast! Capping meant more money. Or at least I thought. I did not know nor did I care about damage dealt or stats. (This stunning revelation was introduced to me later). I cared about winning. Period. Accelerating to the next tank quickly was my primary goal. I remember playing on Komarin and convincing an entire team, on numerous occasions, to all get on cap at the beginning of the match. Create a wall of big tanks and let the little guys cap fast. Or even managing to talk everyone into doing a delayed blitz across Malinovka to surprise the enemy and cap fast. LOL!! It was different game back then. Teams listened to each other. When it worked I was a hero. More times than not it failed though.

Needless to say, my learning curve has increased since then. My current style depends on who I am platooned with, the tank I am utilizing, and the situation at hand. I can be aggressive when needed or conservative to make well thought out decisions. Situational awareness is key in this game. If I am not looking down at the mini map at least 30 billion times during a battle, I'm doing it wrong.

Yes I did say "platooned". To some people within the game, platooning only emphasizes how bad you are at tanks. Solo play proves true skill. I say "to each their own." I have nothing to prove. Despite the stigma, I can honestly say that I still do play primarily for fun. If I am not having fun then there is no reason to stay. I have the most fun platooning and having 3 tanks work in unison to achieve victory! Your odds of winning are mathematically better than you going solo.

I also look at it from a real world tactical point of view. A platoon of tanks consists of 4 tanks by American standards. You will NEVER see a tank without his wingman. What if a tank breaks down and infantry are trying to overrun it? What if you get caught in a firefight with an armored element larger than your own? Or even worse what if you run out of Gatorade's and jerky?!! It just makes sense to maximize firepower and increase your chance of destroying your enemy with additional guns in the fight. Plus you know that your wingman has your back. Heroes can keep the solo play. You will always see me with at least one other tank in battle.5. Does any of your experience of utilizing a tank in real life help you perform in game? or do you believe it doesn't translate?

I think my real life experiences helped to an extent but there is definitely a point where game mechanics takes over and you must learn to master it. When conducting a straight out comparison, real tanking and internet tanking are polar opposite. To give you an idea, my introduction to tank life went something like this:

“Gentlemen, this 68 ton pig is designed to do one thing and one thing only….. kill. It does not discriminate in any way. If used correctly, it will take the life of your enemy. If used incorrectly, it will take your life just the same. You must learn to master this beast to maximize destruction while reducing collateral damage and remaining safe.”

My introduction to World of Tanks went something like this:

“Hey man, don’t get ‘invis-i-sniped’ and also be aware your shell will not always hit when aimed center mass!”

Tank terminology, maneuvering, certain real tactics, and communication translated easy for me into the game. What was difficult was initially grasping the complexity of the visibility, spotting, and penetration mechanics. I mean in real life, a 60 ton tank isn't going to vanish in front of me while engaged in full combat 500 meters away. A bush camouflaging him or the fact I can't see him with the naked eye, isn’t going to stop me from simply using thermal optics to pick up a heat signature and sending a gift in the form of a 120MM sabot.

Real tanking is a lot more complicated than many people think. Multitasking and CONSTANT situational awareness is critical. You are always working. Always! It's hot, cramped, hot, has restricted visibility, always breaking, hot, and loud. As a tank commander, with the aid of my crew, I had to control the hull orientation, gun position, turret location, target identification, communication on the radio with multiple units, navigating, perform complex calculations, troubleshoot if needed, maintain ammunition discipline ...the list goes on. This is all done simultaneously while always attempting to remain calm. Luckily I had amazing crews.

Many gamers thinks that all aspects from real world tanking translates into the game. This is far from the truth. If you want to experience what a real tanker does, I suggest you try this: Take your entire computer outside. Ensure it is over 100 degree weather. Sit in your car with your heaviest winter clothes on and only one window down. Log into the game and join 20 different matches where you sit there for 15 minutes and never see the enemy.

Service members conduct thousands of missions like this. Waiting for something to happen while maintaining discipline. I have 4 tours to the Middle East with hundreds of hours of conducting various missions. I can say with confidence that I would not be here today if not for the tank. It saved mine and my crew's life on multiple occasions. My biggest complaint is hearing loss from large IED's. Many people are not as fortunate. A game can mimic a variety of things. However, you simply cannot replicate the joy of fellow service members and yourself still being alive.

Bottom line, it's a game and a very good one. You do not have needed to be a tanker to be good at it. Anyone can be successful if they put in the work. Trial and error, admitting your faults, and learning the deep mechanics is all you really need.6. So I guess it took you a while to start doing very well?

Oh yes. There are a handful of players that were able to do extremely well right from the beginning. Either they learned from beta or did research on their own before having too many battles. I was not one of these people. Nothing mattered to me except having fun and getting to the next tank. If that meant bypassing certain equipment to streamline to the next level, then so be it.

It wasn't until Riidean37 received orders to deploy to Afghanistan and Black_8 was put on a different work schedule than me that I started to change my game play. I had no one to platoon with really so I decided to check out tank companies. I had always seen them but never participated nor did I ever join a clan. I had around 8,000 battles at the time with 56% win ratio. I didn't realize what I had until I was sitting in reserve in one of Badfish1060's tank companies and listening to these guys talk. They would always say "pick 1stTanks". Then they began to talk about my win ratio. This exposure to working with an actual team was game changing for me. It was my first introduction to a "caller" aka a guy that gives orders in battle. I loved every aspect. I played tank companies for about 1K battles or so, most of which was in my KV1S. This is pretty obvious. I get accused of stat padding because of this but honestly at the time I did not know any better. I enjoyed finally being apart of a coordinated team that knew how to win. I also liked the company of people I played with.

This eventually led to my first clan Elvis, and my introduction to many players within the community. I started to platoon with different players that were good! I met sr360 here. He was the first person that really began teaching me things I never knew about. It was amazing how much knowledge he had about every tank in the game by memory.

Everyone likes to focus on the big name guys within the community that we know are epic. Garbad, sela, CarbonWard, etc. In my mind, my clan was some of the best players I had ever seen. I had no clue about the top players.

I bounced around for a little bit to different clans. Continually growing my friends lists and range of platoon mates. Some of the people that stick out are sr360, Kooc, Rosh87, xREAPx (yes I said it), Chizhang, NYPD, roslanking1, drynitz, Chuckspiers, T_om, kriegsmaster17, ieatcookies, AutismSpeaks, Ovid, cycliscs, SturmButcher, Tanker91, SuperGG and many more. I even gained respect for our Clan Wars enemies as they were great players as well. Like lozarus.

As my skills improved, so did my ego. I turned into a really stuck up person in game. I never considered myself really good but always heard from others how good I was. I began to ignore old friends, become angry at random players easily, and only associate with similarly skilled people. I thought I was the best.

Then I met Illusion. I had never seen stats like his before. I asked him politely to platoon and he accepted. He warned me if I was bad, he would kick me off his list. I agreed. Well I am still on there so I guess I was not terrible lol. Anyways, I had NEVER seen players play like him and the people he would platoon with (like _ESA_). It blew my mind. If I would make a judgment call and it was incorrect, he would instantly correct me and teach me why. If I played poorly in a round, he would tell me straight out. I did not mind because I was learning.

There were two distinct instances where I learned that I was not as good as I thought I was. The first was joining -G-. It was here that I learned about some of the really talented players from clans like -G-, Forge, S.I.M.P., HAVOK, PBKAC, etc. These guys performed at such a level that I was lost for words. The second was when the cap point deduction to stats hit. (Remember how I was taught?). I realized my stats that I obsessed about were actually inflated and I didn't even know it. I dropped a good 200 points or so off my efficiency.

I did a reevaluation of my focus within the game. I had become someone that I wasn't in real life and was pretty ashamed of it. I treated many people badly for no reason. I was too focused on stats and lost the fun factor.

In Anvil I found the best community thus far. I absolutely loved it there. I re-shifted my focus back to fun and began to platoon with friends again. These people deserved better than how I was and I'm not too big of a man to admit that. I still do not consider myself extremely good. I am a product of great people, good callers, and platooning 24/7. I do not need to be the best. I just needed to start enjoying the game again.7. What advice would you than give to newer players trying to perform well?

Hang in there and set small goals for yourself. Something that is obtainable in the near future.

Platoon with other players. If you find a fixed crew of about 6 people or so, platoon daily with each other. You will be surprised at how proficient you guys become together.

If you find a really good player that happens to let you platoon with them, take the constructive criticism they give you. They are good for a reason.

Make mistakes. The chances of you making that mistake again are lower the next time.

Do not let yourself get to a point where you feel you cannot learn something from someone else.

Have thick skin. Remember it's just words.

READ THE WIKI! Everyone is quick to point the finger at other players. Sometimes a look in the mirror will open your eyes. I had 13,000 games or so when the YouTube camouflage video came out. It blew my mind at what I didn't know!

I think CrabEatOff said it best: "it is not a rush to the top!" Trust me when I say it doesn't get easier with bigger tanks.

And most importantly have fun! Stats are not everything.8. What makes a good platoon?Teamwork, communication, and knowing each other’s play style. Know your buddy's strengths and weaknesses. This takes time and patience between the 3 of you. And stay together in battle! Unless the situation calls for it, why separate from each other? If my platoon is playing and we see an enemy platooned tank fighting solo, we instantly know to focus him out before his backup arrives. If the same situation presented itself but his mates are close by, we would be a bit more hesitant to attack.9. Any tanks you are looking forward to unlocking?

Not really. I just unlocked the T57. This is my first new tank in a long time. I'm not a very adventurous guy. I stick with what I know.

10. What was your most memorable match?

You would think most people remember their epic games from the past. I remember my most epic fail. I was new still, maybe about 3,500 battles or so and playing on Karelia in a public match. The battle was loading and I had just come from the same map a little while before where a rush plan worked. So I begin to rally the troops: "Hey guys! EVERYONE UP THE MIDDLE! It'll work!" Most were hesitant, one guy was pleading (practically begging) not to do it. But I was persuasive. "Come on guys, bold moves win battles!" One by one I gained their acceptance. Before the countdown was over I talked all 15 of them into it.

Now in the battle beforehand, we all yolo'd right at the beginning. We ran into a little resistance but did catch them by surprise with a 5-0 victory. This time I thought, we should delay it by 2 minutes. This will cause the enemy to be spread out too far to prevent the cap fast. In reality, it allowed the enemy to gain the high ground and flanks. Oops.

So at the 13 minute mark, "Guns up, Let's do this!" We launch with me leading the way. Full speed. Confident in my plan. I looked at my team. 14 tanks following me to victory! About a minute and a half later, it was a complete slaughterhouse. A massacre. There were bodies everywhere. Back then, it was very rare to see a blowout of 15-0. This was my first one. And I was 100% the cause lol.

Oh man. The rage was strong that battle. My name popped up in chat so many times I lost count. I don't think I had that many profanities thrown at me at once since bootcamp. Of course the enemy team is adding fuel to the fire. Boasting and bragging. One of them said, "Good job red team, who's brilliant idea was that".....I exited without saying a word, completely embarrassed. LOL!!11. Any tanks you weren't good in?

Arty and TD's12. What led you to working for WGA?

I actually found out through the game. For some reason I decided to look at the general chat section. I never go there. I saw a post by SgtGrunt to a player that was asking about jobs at WGA. I was getting out of the military anyways and figured why not. Here I am today!

This is the perfect job for me. I could not have asked for a better group of people to work with. (interviewer's note: d'awww)13. Luckiest kill you ever got?On side one of El Halluf. I'm in my Type 59. Game launches and I take off full sprint headed to the beach. On my way there, two T54's have the same idea. I realize I am by myself (my platoon mates were TD's sniping from the ridge and missed their shots) and thought it was over. We were all max speed and I take a shot and ammo rack one of the T54's. He spontaneously combusted. The second T54 makes it to the beach without getting hit also. I lay my gun and blind shot with fully bloomed reticle. Boom! Ammo racked 100% to dead.

Accusations are thrown. Bragging rights earned. Win.14. What is your favorite map? (I would laugh if you said Karelia)Ruinberg and Mines15. Any in game medals you had difficulty earning?Yes. For the life of me, I cannot achieve the Burda's Medal and the DeLanglande's Medal. I come close and get denied every time.16. Last Words?We're done for! Get out!

Random piece of fact: Czechoslovak community on EU server has a new community organizer. It's a girl (again) - I wonder why didn't they accept xkatana instead (he was considered earlier for the position), maybe he lacks boobs?

Also, Slavamakarov (surprisingly his real name is Slava Makarov, one of the producers/developer head honchos) confirmed that Superpershing will be taken away from the shop. It is not yet decided whether this will be a permanent thing, or just temporary. It's also not yet sure when that happens. He himself was the author of this proposal and it was approved by SerB and Storm, he doesn't view it as a compromise.

- apparently, Maus ROF won't be buffed
- the system where only the best players of each team are rewarded (like in sport) won't be implemented, as WoT is a team game
- the new SU-26 top gun AP shell has the penetration of 80, while the golden HEAT shell has the penetration of 74. This is intentional, as the AP shell loses a lot of penetration over distance, while the HEAT one doesn't.
- automatic fire extinguisher test price (10k) is just an experiment, it's not definitive

Note from author: when there are different colours on various models, it doesn't necesserily mean that the thickness has been changed, the armor zone might have simply been moved into other armor group.IS-6

The miniature spaced armor strips over the tracks and the rim around the hull (violent on picture) - earlier 10mm, became 30mm

The weld between lower and upper frontal plate has been reduced from 110mm to 85mm, the lower frontal armor is slightly better angled.

Earlier:

Became:

Panzer III/IV

Lower frontal armor recieved a slightly better angle

Earlier:

Became:

Object 268

Recieved new miniature 20mm spaced armor plates on sides.

Earlier:

Became:

E-100

Besides the obvious moving of the turret 30cm forward, the turret angles have been slightly nerfed, track covers above the tracks have been nerfed from 90mm to 30mm (the green thin strip) and the side armor was nerfed from 130mm to 120mm.

Basically, Korean server (which for some reason announces this stuff a lot in advance) released the following statement (text translated/transcribed by Krasnayazvezda, US server)

Tankers!
We are sorry to inform you that the Super Pershing will be removed from the stores of all servers around the world upon the request of Wargaming.net headquarters.
Thus the planned discount of the Super Pershing (note : local event for Korean server only) will be cancelled according to this.
We'll let you know about the details regarding the Super Pershing within a few days.

We apologize you for the abrupt change of the details of the specials.
We'll do our best to provide you better services in the future.
Thank you.